The Story of the 115th A.A.A. Gun Battalion

In 1943, the U.S. Army began the formation of a number high-tech mobile
antiaircraft artillery (A.A.A.) units. They were not only equipped with
the latest high-velocity 90mm guns, but they also would carry into the
field such top-secret wonders as radar and electronic fire control computers.
The big guns would be directed by remote control. As if that weren't enough,
the units would be completely mobile: capable of being landed on a beach
and travelling hundreds of miles a day to keep pace with the armored spearheads
of a modern army. These mobile 90mm A.A.A. units were among the most technically
advanced components of the American Army during World War 2.

How do you say "A.A.A"?
"A.A.A." How do you pronounce it? My father always said "Triple-A",
as in "Hundred and fifteenth triple-A gun battalion." That's authority
enough for me. Say "Triple-A".

The 115th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Mobile) was my
father's unit. Activated, trained, and shipped to England in 1943, they
participated in the Battle of Britain (A.A. defense of London), the landings
at Normandy (Omaha Beach) in June 1944 and fought their way across France
and into Germany with Patton's Third Army. The battalion was present at
the Third Army's crossing of the Rhine in 1945.

This site is dedicated to telling their story, almost entirely in their
own words, using unit histories published after the end of hostilities
in 1945.

After the end of the war in Europe, while waiting to return home, the
battalion prepared and published a history of their service in the Second
World War. "The Story of the 115th A.A.A. Gun Battalion"
was published in late 1945 (it was printed in Luxembourg) and distributed
to all current and former members of the unit. It is a handsome 55-page
booklet in large magazine format, well-written and illustrated by members
of the Battalion, with a gold foil cover.

A
month or two earlier, in July 1945, the Battalion's B Battery published
their own history, "Symphony in B-Flak",
as a 200 page hard-bound book in a smaller format, about 6 by 9 inches.
Symphony in B-Flak provides a somewhat more personal view of the war and
often supplies details that are missing from the Battalion history. The
Appendices include the text Battalion commendations and a useful history
of the Battalion's attachment to higher echelons. It also includes a full
roster of the Battery.

Ready to start reading? Click one of the links below or use the navigation
arrows and table of contents.

The 115th AAA Gun Battalion,
Battery "B" ...
... was one of the
U.S. Army's crack mobile 90mm antiaircraft artillery units operating
in the European Theater (ETO) during World War 2. This site is dedicated
to telling the story of the men of the 115th.

Here you will find the full text of their 1945 self-published history,
The Story of the 115th A.A.A. Gun
Battalion, as well as B Battery's own unit history Symphony
in B Flak.

Deploying radar, remote controlled high-velocity guns and even top
secret computers, the 90mm AA units become masters of the most advanced
technology to appear on any WWII battlefield. On top of that, they
are fully mobile and self-sustaining in the field. That they attain
this level of expertise less than a year after most leave their
civilian occupations only adds to our wonder at their achievement

Important Note: Effective April 2005, full access
to all pages of this site no longer requires
a membership fee.

The original text
of The Story of the 115th A.A.A. Gun Battalion and Symphony
in B Flak, published by the unit in 1945, is in the public domain.
So how, you may ask, can I claim that the contents of these web
pages are protected by copyright?

The answer is that it is my own transcription of the text and images
into electronic format, and compilation into these web pages that
is copyrighted. In addition, the web design, art, and annotations,
plus all material from my father's personal albums are copyrighted
original works. I reserve all rights to how all these materials
are used. You may not copy them or store them in any retrieval system
without permission.